Dispenser with concurrent separation and distortion of flexible article



Dec. 6, 1966 E. A. FILIPOWICZ 3,289,832

DISPENSER WITH CONCURRENT SEPARATION AND DISTORTION OF FLEXIBLE ARTICLE Filed Oct. 24, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR EDWIN A. FILIPOWICZ 7,12% 5% Star/(L A'FIERMEYS Dec. 6, .1966 E. A. FILIPOWICZ 3,289,882

DISPENSER WITH CONCURRENT} SEPARATION AND DISTORTION OF FLEXIBLE ARTICLE Filed Oct. 24, 1965 2 Sheetsiheet 2 III/III! r IIIII a j 6a INVENTOR EDWIN A.. FILIPOWICZ 74ndrus #5 Star/c ArranueYs each type.

United States Patent 3 289,882 DISPENSER WITH CbN CURRENT SEPARATION AND DTSTORTION 0F FLEXIBLE ARTICLE Edwin A. Filipowicz, Greenfield, Wis, assignor to Grifiith- Hope Company, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Oct; 24, 1965, Ser. No. 504,878 11 Claims. ((11. 221-44) This invention relates to a dispenser and more particularly to a dispenser capable of dispensing paper towels of various sizes and folds.

Paper towels are generally supplied for public washrooms in the form of stacked, folded sheets contained within a dispenser capable of releasing the towels individually as they are pulled from the dispenser. Two types of folded towels are in wide use in dispensers. The first is commonly referred to as a C-fold towel in which the edges of the towel are folded or doubled back on the same side of the towel so that the towel in cross section has a generally C-shape. The second type of commonly used towel is the interfold type in which the edges are provided with, reversed folds on opposite sides of the towel, so that in cross section the towel has a generally Z-shape. The folded edg m of onetowel are interleafed or interfolded between the folded edges of adjacent towels.

Normally, a dispenser for paper towels is adapted to use a single type of towel and cannot be used for a different type of towel or different sizes of the same towel. In the past, some attempts have been made to provide a dispenser which can be used for various types of towels, but in most cases the dispenser required the use of an in terchangeable bottom unit to be inserted for one type of toweling and removed for another type.

The present invention is directed to a dispenser for paper towels which is capable of dispensing both the interfolded and C-folded towels, as well as various sizes of In general, the dispenser includes a base or supporting unit which supports the stack of folded towels and a cover or enclosure which is hinged to the base and encloses the stack of towels. The base includes a vertical rear wall, and a bottom wall extends forwardly from the lower edge of the rear wall and is inclined downwardly to the horizontal. Extending upwardly and forwardly from the forward edge of the bottom wall is a front wall and a discharge opening is formed at the junction of the bottom wall and the front wall.

The side edges of the front wall are provided with a pair of upwardly extending supports or abutments and the side edges of the C-folded towels are supported on the abutments while the rear edges of the C-folded towels are su ported on the bottom wall. In addition, a projection extends upwardly from the front wall between the abutments and serves to support the central portion of the C-folded towels to prevent undue sagging at the center. With this construction, the folded edge of the lowermost C-folded towel in the stack projects through the opening and the angularity between the abutments and the bottom wall serves to urge the stack of towels toward the rear wall to a position where the folded edge of the lowermost towel in the stack will project within the discharge opening.

The dispenser of the invention is also adapted to dispense two widths of interfolded towels. The rear edge of the stack of narrow interfolded towels is supported on the bottom well while the forward portion of the stack is supported on the front wall. To prevent the toweling from being pulled forward as the lowermost towel is removed through the opening, a pair of projections extend upwardly from the front wall and are provided with lips which engage several of the lower interfolded towels in the stack.

The wider interfolded towels are supported between the bottom wall and the upper surface of the projections in ICC the front wall. As in the case of the narrow interfolded towels, the stack of wider inter-folded towels is prevented from riding forward when the lowermost towel is removed by a second pair of laterally aligned projections having lips which engage the forward edges of the lowermost towels in the stack.

As the interfolded towels normally have a shorter length than the C-folded towels, the interfolded towels are nested within the abutments along the sideedges of thefront wall so that the abutments function to maintain lateral alignment of the stack of interfolded towels on the base.

The dispenser'of the invention is capable ofidispensing either Ofolded or interfolded towels of-various sizes without any change or modification of the unit. This isa substantial advantage over prior art dispensers which were generally capable of dispensing only a single type of towel, or which, in some cases, could dispense different types of towels, but only with the addition of an interchangeable bottom unit.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of the following description.

The drawings illustrate the best mode. presently con tcmplated of carrying out the inventionf In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the dispenser;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the base which supports the stack of paper towels;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section of the base containing a stack of narrow width, interfolded towels;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the base supporting a stack of wide, interfolded towels;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the base supporting a stack of C-folded towels; and

PEG. 6 is a section taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

The drawings illustrate a dispensing unit 1 capable of dispensing various types and sizes of folded paper towels. The dispenser 1 includes a base 2 or supporting unit adapted to support a stack of paper towels, and a cover or closure 3, which encloses the stack of towels, is hinged to the base 2. I

As best shown in FIG. 2, the base 2 includes a generally vertical rear wall 4 having a series of slots 5 to receive mounting screws or the like for connecting the base to a wall or other fixed support. A pair of side walls 6 extend forwardly of the rear wall and the'side walls 6 are pivotally connected to the side walls 7 of cover 3 by pins 8. The cover 3 is locked to the base 2 by a conventional latch 9 and when the cover is unlocked, it can swing downwardly with respect to the base so that a stack of towels can be inserted on the base. I

Base 2 also includes a bottom wall 10 that extends forwardly from the lower end of the rear wall 4, and wall 10 is slanted downwardly at an angle to the horizontal. Extending upwardly and forwardly from the forward edge of bottom wall it is an upwardly convex wall 11, and an up wardly concave wall 12 extends forwardly from the forward edge of. the convex Wall 11 and terminates in a generally vertical flange 13.

The paper towels which are supported on the base 2 are adapted to be dispensed through an opening 14 in bottom wall it and convex wall 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the opening 14 extends laterally to a location adjacent the side edges of walls 10 and 11.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the side edges of the surfaces 18 and 11 are provided with generally vertical flanges 15, while the side edges of the concave wall 12 are spaced laterally inward from the side edges of the walls '10 and 11 and generally vertical flanges 16 extend upwardly from the side edges of wall 12. The upper extremities of the flanges 16 are bent laterally outward and curved in a frontto-rear direction, to provide support surfaces as indicated by 17. The distance between the flanges 16 is equal to, or

3 less than, the lateral dimension of the discharge opening 14.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the manner in which a stack of C-folded towels 18 is supported in the support unit 2. The rear edges of the towels 18 are supported on the wall 10 and the folded edge portion 19 of lowermost towel 18 extends downwardly through the opening 14 in a position where it can be grasped by the user. The side edges of the towels 18 are supported on the upper surfaces 17 of flanges 16, and as the edges 17 are at a substantially higher level than the surface 10, the towels will be urged rearwardly against the rear wall 4. The difference in height between the surfaces 17 and the wall 10 tends to bow or curve the towels as shown in FIG. 5, and this bow in the towel aids in urging the edge 19 of the towel downwardly within the opening 14. The curved nature of edges 17 permits the towel to ride smoothly over the edges as it is pulled from the opening 14.

To aid in supporting the central portion of the C-folded towels 18, a dimple or projection 20 extends upwardly from the concave surface 12. When a relatively thick stack of towels 18 is contained within the dispenser, the central portion of the stack will tend to sag and the dimple 20 will support the center of the stack and prevent undue bowing or sagging of the stack of towels.

FIG. 3 illustrates the manner in which a stack of narrow, interfolded towels 21 is supported on the base 2. The rear edges of the interfolded towels 21 are supported on the surface 10 and the rear folded edge 22 of the lowermost towel projects downwardly Within the opening 14 in a position where it can be grasped by the user. The forward portions of the narrow interfolded towels 21 are supported on the concave Wall 12- and, as shown in FIG. 3, the forward edge of each towel 21 is at a higher elevation than the lower edge which is supported on wall 10, and this difference in elevation tends to urge or force the stack of towels rearwardly against the rear wall 4.

To prevent the narrow interfolded towels 21 from being pulled forward as the lowermost towel is removed from the dispenser, a pair of projections 23 or shoulders are formed in the wall 12 and extend upwardly from the wall. The rear edges of the projections 23 are formed with lips 24 which project rearwardly from the top of the projections 23. As best shown in FIG. 3, the lips 24 serve to engage the forward edges of a number of towels 21 in the stack and prevent the stack of towels from being drawn forwardly as the lowermost towel 21 is pulled from the dispenser. The use of a pair of lips 24 which are spaced on either side of the center of the Wall 12 prevents one side of the stack of towels from being pulled forward and maintains proper alignment of the towels on the base 2.

The manner in which a stack of interfolded towels 25 of wider width is supported on the base 2 is illustrated in FIG. 4. As in the case of the narrow width towels, the rear edges of the towels 25 are supported on the wall 10 and the rear folded edge 26 of the lowermost towel projects downwardly through the opening 24. The forward edges of the towels 25 are supported on the upper surface of the projections 23, while the central portion of the stack of towels 25 rests on the dimple 29 which prevents undue sagging of the stack at the center. As in the case of the narrow, interfolded towels, the difference in elevation between the projections 23 and the wall 10 serves to urge the stack of towels 25 rearwardly against the wall 4.

To prevent the stack of towels 25 from being pulled forwardly when the lowermost towel is removed from the opening 24, the wall 12 is formed with a pair of upwardly extending projections 27 located forwardly of the projections 23. As in the case of projections 23, the projections 27 are formed with rearwardly extending lips 28 which are adapted to engage the forward edges of a number of towels 25 in the stack and prevent the stack from moving forwardly when the lowermost towel is removed through the opening 24.

It is important that the projections 27 be spaced a substantial distance apart because if the projections 27 are close together, the towels 25 will not fall downwardly onto the projections 23, but may tend to rest on the upper surface of projections 27. In practice, it has been found that the centerline of the projections 27 should be located laterally outward from the centerline of the projections 23.

The projections 23 also provide a function when the C-folded towels 18 are used in the dispenser. As shown in FIG. 5, the front edges of the lowermost towels 18 in the stack will tend to drop below the lip 28 while the remaining towels 18 in the stack will be supported on the projections 27. This results in a substantial portion of the weight of the stack being supported on the projections and enables the towels to be removed from the dispenser with a lesser pull or force.

In addition, a series of dimples or projections 29 are formed in the rear wall 4 and serve to support a substantial portion of the weight of the stack of towels. Again, this reduces the force or pull necessary to remove the towel from the stack. The projections 29 are particularly important in larger dispensers capable of containing a deep stack of towels. The rounded upper extremity of the projections serves to support a substantial portion of the weight of the stack while the abruptly terminated lower extremity 30 of each projection will enable the towels, once they have passed below the extremity 30, to immediately move downwardly without obstruction.

The dispensing unit of the invention is capable of dis pensing both C-folded and interfolded towels of various sizes with a single dispensing structure. N0 alteration or modification of the unit is required when changing from one type of towel to another.

Various modes of carrying out the invention are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

I claim:

1. A dispensing unit for stacked flexible folded sheets, comprising a support member to support the stack of sheets, and a closure member removably secured to the support member and adapted to enclose the stack of sheets, said support member including a substantially vertical rear wall, a bottom wall extending forwardly from said rear wall at a downward acute angle to the horizontal, an upwardly convex curved wall extending upwardly from the forward edge of the bottom wall, an upwardly concave wall extending forwardly from the forward edge of the upwardly convex wall, opening means in said bottom Wall and said upwardly convex wall through which the sheets are dispensed, said upwardly concave wall having a lesser width in a lateral direction than said bottom wall, an a butment projecting upwardly from each lateral extremity of said upwardly concave wall in position to support the side edges of a first type of folded sheet, a series of laterally aligned lips disposed upwardly of said concave wall and positioned to engage the forward edges of a second type of folded sheets, and a second series of laterally aligned lips disposed upwardly of said concave wall and located forwardly of said first series of lips, said second series of lips positioned to engage the forward edges of a third type of folded sheet.

2. A dispensing unit for dispensing stacked flexible folded towels, comprising a base member to support the stack of towels, and a closure member removably secured to the base member and adapted to enclose the stack of towels, said base member including a substantially vertical rear wall, a bottom wall extending forwardly from said rear wall at a downward angle with respect to the horizontal, a forward wall extending upwardly and forwardly from the forward edge of the bottom wall, a discharge opening located at the junction between the bottom wall and the forward wall, a supporting abutment located along each side edge of the forward wall, a first seriesof laterally aligned shoulders disposed upwardly of said forward wall, a second series of laterally aligned shoulders disposed upwardly of said forward wall and located forwardly of said first series of shoulders, the rear portion of a first type of folded towel being supported on said bottom wall and the forward portion of said first type of towel being supprted on said abutments, the rear prtion of a second type of folded towel being supported on said bottom wall and the forward portion of said second type of towel being supported on said forward wall with the forward edges of said second type of towel being located rearwardly of said first series of shoulders, and the rear portion of a third type of folded towel being supported on said bottom wall and the forward portion of said third type of folded towel being supported on said forward wall with the forward edges of said third type of folded towel being located rearwardly of said second series of shoulders.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which said first series of shoulders are disposed at a vertical level above the rear edge of the bottom wall and said second series of shoulders are disposed at a vertical level above said first series of shoulders.

4. The structure of claim 3 in which said shoulders are provided with rearwardly extending lips which are adapted to engage the forward edges of the towels in the stack.

5. The structure of claim 2 in which the abutments are located laterally outward of the first and second series of shoulders.

6. The structure of claim 2 in which the abutments are curved in a forward-to-rear direction.

7. A dispensing unit for stacked flexible folded sheets, comprising a support member to support the stack of sheets, and a closure member removably secured to the support member and adapted to enclose the stack of sheets, said support member including a substantially vertical rear wall, a bottom wall extending forwardly from said rear wall at a downward acute angle to the horizontal, an upwardly convex curved wall extending upwardly at an abrupt angle from the forward edge of the bottom wall, an upwardly concave wall extending forwardly from the forward edge of the upwardly convex wall, a discharge opening located at the junction be- 6 tween the bottom wall and the convex wall and extending laterally to a location adjacent the side edges of said bottom wall and convex wall, a supporting abutment located adjacent each side edge of the concave wall with the lateral distance between said abutments being substantially equal to the lateral dimension of said opening, a first series of laterally aligned projections extending upwardly from said concave wall and having rearwardly projecting lips, and a second series of laterally aligned projections extending upwardly from said concave wall and located forwardly of said first series, said second series of projections having rearwardly projecting lips.

8. The dispenser of claim 7 and including a dimple extending upwardly from said concave wall and located generally midway between said abutments.

9. The dispenser of claim 2, and including a series of projections located in horizontal alignment on said rear wall and projecting forwardly from the rear Wall, said projections serving to support a portion of the weight of the stack of towels.

10. The structure of claim 9, in which the projections have generally rounded upper extremities and abruptly terminated lower extremities.

11. The structure of claim 9 in which the projections are located at a level beneath the level of the second series of shoulders.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,164,047 12/ 1915 Winter 22l--55 2,081,564 5/ 1937 Tuszynski 221- 2,256,020 9/1941 Engel 221-46 2,488,040 11/1949 Straubel 22144 References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,488,040 11/ 1949 Straubel. 3,028,047 4/ 1962 Tuft. 3,087,646 4/ 1963 Ruby. 3,115,998 12/1963 Joyce et al.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DISPENING UNIT FOR STACKED FLEXIBLE FOLDED SHEETS, COMPRISING A SUPPORT MEMBER TO SUPPORT THE STACK OF SHEETS, AND A CLOSURE MEMBER REMOVABLY SECURED TO THE SUPPORT MEMBER AND ADAPTED TO ENCLOSE THE STACK OF SHEETS, SAID SUPPORT MEMBER INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL REAR WALL, A BOTTOM WALL EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM SAID REAR WALL AT A DOWNWARD ACUTE ANGLE TO THE HORIZONTAL, AN UPWARDLY CONVEX CURVED WALL EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE FORWARD CONVEX CURVED WALL EXTENDING UPWARDLY CONCAVE WALL EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM THE FORWARD EDGE OF THE UPWARDLY CONVEX WALL, OPENING MEANS IN SAID BOTTOM WALL AND SAID UPWARDLY CONVEX WALL THROUGH WHICH THE SHEETS ARE DISPENSED, SAID UPWARDLY CONCAVE WALL HAVING A LESSER WIDTH IN A LATERAL DIRECTION THAN SAID BOTTOM WALL, AN ABUTMENT PROJECTING UPWARDLY FROM EACH LATERAL EXTREMITY OF SAID UPWARDLY CONCAVE WALL IN POSITION TO SUPPORT THE SIDE EDGES OF A FIRST TYPE OF FOLDED SHEET, A SERIES OF LATERALLY ALIGNED LIPS DISPOSED UPWARDLY OF SAID CONCAVE WALL AND POSITIONED TO ENGAGE THE FORWARD EDGES OF A SECOND TYPE OF FOLDED SHEETS, AND A SECOND SERIES OF LATERALLY ALIGNED LIPS DISPOSED UPWARDLY OF SAID CONCAVE WALL AND LOCATED FORWARDLY OF SAID FIRST SERIES OF LIPS, SAID SECOND SERIES OF LIPS POSITIONED TO ENGAGE THE FORWARD EDGES OF A THIRD TYPE OF FOLDED SHEET. 